Officials at the Ottawa Hospital say they're having a difficult time attracting nurses to the sexual assault program at the Civic campus.
The hospital says the nursing positions require specialized training, and it's difficult to recruit nurses, especially when there are plenty of other opportunities available.
Although the Ottawa Hospital would like to have a roster of about 15 nurses for the program, it only has about half that.
"We're looking at options within our pool of ER nurses – is there an option to use them to support the program until we can find more permanent solutions," said Mike Tierney, vice president of clinical programs at the Ottawa Hospital.
A staffing shortage on Sunday meant the hospital couldn't offer services to a woman who had been sexually assaulted.
Instead, the woman was given the option to return to the hospital the next day, or seek treatment in Cornwall or Renfrew.
In recent weeks, a handful of other sexual assault victims have also been denied immediate care at the Civic campus.
